By Stuart Laing
Welcome to Watches of the Year 2011, the most comprehensive and authoritative review of watches published in the UK.
With watch sales becoming an increasingly important part of a jeweller’s sales, stocking the right range and hitting the right trends that are going to catch the public’s imagination is key to gaining valuable sales. That’s why Houlden Group, the UK and Ireland’s longest established jewellery and watch buying organisation, is thrilled to sponsor what should be top of your reading list.
Over the past year the watch market has been as exciting and innovative as ever. This year Houlden Group members have reported a renewed interest from customers in the simple elegance of the fine art of watchmaking. Styles from the 1950s and 1960s have been given a modern twist by being made with state of the art mechanisms in new materials such as carbon and ceramics, and the giant watches of the year before have made way for more slender designs.
Whatever your market; whether it’s searching out the most covetable limited-edition watches for a special customer, or looking for those high street trends that will suit the pockets of your shoppers, I’m sure you’ll find inspiration in these pages.
With some of the best and most experienced watch sellers in the UK amongst our membership, if you’re not part of the Houlden Group why not join us and take advantage of the insights and buying power that we can bring to your business. We meet regularly and bring together some of the best ideas, suppliers and brains in the business.
Happy reading.
Stuart Laing
Chief Executive, Houlden Group
www.houlden.biz
